Is it better to get a masters and find a job that may pay for you to get a doctorate or is it better to get a doctorate then find a better paying job?

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In general, no. First off, a PhD student can generally snag some sort of assistantship to pay for tuition and survival while in school. It's also important to realize that someone with a doctorate is not generally expected to be all that practical, with years of experience on the factory floor. Firms that hire PhD's are expecting scholars, not grizzled old hands.

It's also important to note that a doctorate does not necessarily step up your income as would, say, a bachelor's degree or perhaps a master's. The only place you can predict a higher salary or greater responsibility with an advanced degree is in government work--teaching or administrative. There are a good many fields where a doctorate is a distinct disadvantage.

Therefore, go for a doctorate if you love the field and/or want to teach. It is one of those accomplishments that is very much its own reward; you probably won't make as much money as you would if you'd started selling swimming pools after high-school graduation. That said, scholarship is an intensely rewarding activity that can really change the way you look at the world.

Answer

In many fields, getting a master's first and then working for a while is preferable, even if only for a year, even if your employer won't pay for your doctorate. Often, employers are hesitant to hire someone with too much academic experience and not enough workplace experience, so it may behoove you to get some work experience first.

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Degree doesn't guarantee salary. However, to answer your question, many Universities pay graduate students for work, including tuition and fees, and 20 hours per week of lab work or teaching. Going the other route, working while getting your Ph.D., is not a bad idea, but it would likely take far longer to finish. I'd suggest focusing on the Ph.D. alone, especially since writing a dissertation is time consuming.

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I think this is very individual. A learner has to fit their life situation itno their life. There are many jobs that will pay tuition to university and experience can not hurt you. Can you afford to go on without assistance?

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Yes it is easy to get a doctorate as all you have to do is write a thesis (some where along the lines of a large book). After all Brian May got a doctorate in astrophysics and that is the hardest subject in the world to do.

First answer by anonymous. Last edit by Makro1989. Contributor trust: 2 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 105 [recommend question]

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